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RCFEs In The News

13 SD RCFEs Evacuated in Lilac Fire

THIRTEEN SD RCFEs EVACUATED DURING LILAC FIRE

​13 assisted living facilities located in San Diego's North County were under mandatory evacuation orders during the Lilac Fire. The Lilac Fire, a fast moving blaze, was moving westward from I-15 near Bonsall, towards Oceanside. As of Monday 11 December, Community Care Licensing (CCL) reported all had been repopulated, following CalFire's lifting of the evacuation order. The facilities affected were:

Amparo Senior Care, Oceanside

Angel in the Garden, Oceanside

Blue Skies of Oceanside, Oceanside

Casa Verdugo, Oceanside

Forest View Guest Home, Vista

Golden House Residence, Bonsall

​Heaven's Grace Care Home, Oceanside

Melrose Place, Vista

Mountain View Manor, Vista

Pacific Breeze, Oceanside

Paradise Residential Care Facility, Fallbrook

Verdugo Boarding Home, Oceanside

Villa Florenza, Oceanside

Residential care facilities for the elderly (RCFEs, also known as assisted living facilities) must be prepared for any emergency, as they are responsible for the health and safety of its residents in good times and in bad. All RCFEs must have on file with the state, and prominently posted in the facility a current Emergency Disaster Plan (LIC610E). The Licensee is responsible for maintaining the currency and accuracy of the responsibilities, names and contact numbers listed on the document. During an emergency, each employee of the RCFE should be trained, and drilled in the procedures to safely move the facility's residents out of harm's way.

Given the high fire danger throughout the County, families with residents in assisted living facilities are recommended to see the Emergency Disaster Plan for the facility their loved one is in, and should verify that its been updated within the last calendar year. It is also appropriate for the responsible party to have the discussion with the Licensee about evacuations, and where residents will be relocated. Licensees are responsible for obtaining safe transportation for relocation, relocation accommodations, assuring resident records and sufficient quantities of their medications accompany the resident during the evacuation.

CARR is pleased at the state's proactive stance of posting important information regarding facilities that were evacuated during the Southern California fires over this last several weeks; it is a continuation of the detailed evacuation and relocation information for facilities impacted by the fires in Northern California several weeks ago. And of course, we're pleased that all of the thirteen facilities suffered no loss of human life.